Day: November 2, 2016

The morning was spent fixing a few bits and pieces on the bikes. My front brake had been pretty bad, so we started with changing the pads to the extra I had brought, cleaned the disc and actually changing the whole cable. The idea was to clean the cable, but we couldn’t get it back again, so a new one it was.

After some adjustment, the front brake is now able to lock up, as it should be! Thanks for the help, the stay, and the nice evening before, David (and Michael)!

Our next plan was to go to Te Puia, which was a Maori cultural centre, I think. We started biking there a little late, but managed to be there with a few minutes extra, even, in time to see the Maori performance!

Both me and Astrid felt the one at Waitangi had been better. Could be because this one felt more touristic, and less intimate, or because it was the second one seeing it. Still really good!

The guy on the guitar played Stairway to Heaven in the middle while one of the women explained something. Interesting.

After that, we went on a guider tour with the Maori guy with a real Maroi name, Paul. It was a nice tour, with more geothermal activity. Paul explained the name of the park, and not just the short part of it, but the whole one!

Among other things a geyser, a mud pool and a place where they held Kiwis to get better. No photos allowed in there, though!

Next adventure would be Kerosene Creek, which is a river with hot water. And it was perfect! After sitting too many minutes on my knees in the sensational water, I decided that I would eat my lunch in there. Said and done!

We had planned to camp at another geothermal point, which David had told us about, Butcher’s Pool. Someone had actually made a pool out of it, letting the water ascend through the ground and filter itself. People were bathing in it with shampoo and soap, so none of us felt intrigued to bath in that one.

As we had read on the reviews, there were many people visiting the place during the night. Why I am not sure, but it may be an assembly point for local people.

It was supposed to rain a lot the day after, and int he morning I asked a camper van if we could hitchhike with them. They were actually two vans going together, so we put the bicycles in one of them and rode in the other one! The were going by Huka Falls on the way, so we got to see that as well, before they let us off in Taupo.

I messaged the host we would stay with in Taupo, who met us by the i-Sight in just a couple of minutes. We got the directions to the house and biked there. It was really nice to be able to stay inside, let everything dry, clean the kitchen for real and use a real kitchen!

Adam, who I met at my home drop zone in Sweden, was passing by Taupo on his way home, so he went by for a fika. Fun to actually be able to meet him again, and we planned for the possibility to meet up in Ashburton and have a mini boogie! Would be awesome if we managed. I also got to borrow his rig, which would save me a lot of money while jumping in Taupo.

In the evening, when Rose and Trevor came home, we talked with them about road choices, among other things. Thanks to them we got a really detailed plan, and some good tips which was on the way anyway. Really glad we chose to stay with them!